As everyone is busy wrangling whether the future of human spaceflight will be dictated by either the public or private sector, which destinations will be targeted, and which architectures will take us there- I’m going on record that all of this is moot for “human” spaceflight is going to take on this form of telepresence for the forseeable future.

Why?  Because it provides solutions to both problems which plague human spaceflight at present- cost and risk.  

Robots do not breathe, they do not eat, and they cannot die. 

However, while this has obviously always been the case, these points alone have not been sufficient in overcoming the fact that robots have also been slow, much less capable, clumsy creatures with little to no adaptibility.  Over the years as I heard stories of the trials and tribulations of Earthbound personnel working to resolve issues on distant robotic spacecraft I could not help but feel a sense of frustration.  From the Engineers in the 90’s attempting to use repeated fast-forward and rewind operations to free the frozen magnetic tape record on Galileo which had been continually bombarded by Jovian radiation to the Mars Exploration Rover engineers whom crossed their fingers for windstorms to clear the dust on the energy generating solar panels when a brief brush of a human hand with a broom would have more than sufficed.

Steven Squyres whom was made semi-famous (at least in aerospace circles) by the overwhelming success of the aforementioned Mars Exploration Rovers, famouly mused in an interview that despite the accolades of his robots, humans to Mars was a more desirable scenario for exploration because a human can accomplish in one minute what a rover does in an entire day.

Yet, huge amounts of capital have and are being poured into overcoming these limitations.  When I was in graduate school the mode of thesis presentations in the computer engineering field were in applications of remote sensing- working in harsh environments where humans cannot or prefer not to (due to cost and risk).  From unmanned aerial vehicles which can wage war wihtout the political and miliarial ramifications that come from the loss of a pilot to track-bound snowmobiles measuring the thickness of the ice shelf, there are many terrestrial examples of the rapid progression of this technology.  Next time CNN or Fox News shows a video clip of the Deepwater Horizon oil plume, take notice of the upper-left portion of the video feed and you will see the “name” of the submersible robot-worker, which without, the rate of the flow would not have been stemmed at all.

Jump back to Robonaut and you will see yet another leap in technology.  One in which the sensory data of the robot to a remote operator and the dexterity of a remote operator to the robot can be transmitted in a more accurate and complete form than ever before.  Increasing the ability and efficiency of these beasts while continuing the lack of requirements that come along with sustainment of biology.

In an industry where upmass is king of costs, if you can replace food, water, air, heat shields, parachutes (the robot isn’t coming home) and all the other environmental life control systems then you greatly reduce mission cost.  And loss of payload due to critical mission failure, while however unfortunate, does not carry the ramifications that come along with human passengers.

There will come a day when launch technology encounters a radical innovation that removes the exhoribant expense of putting mass in orbit, and when it does, humans in space will immediately become a more viable option.  But until it does, and we are relegated to riding a flame to orbit, Robonaut and his cousins are going to be the ones nestled underneath the nosecone.

Why do all college basketball games have such horrendous simulation engines?  Is it really so difficult to make blue chip programs remain blue chips over an extended period of time?

I’m ten years into a dynasty in NCAA Basketball 09 for the 360 and Austin Peay just won a barn-burner of a championship over Montana.

Seriously?  Did they even test this?

While Lebron was announcing his decision to go to Miami, Dan Gilbert, the Cavs owner, was busy drafting a caps lock, quote mark, riddled diatribe against the man whose butt he had been kissing right up until 8:21 CDT yesterday.  It is true insanity.  Read for yourself, but I personally am having a hard time figuring out what was the most ludicrous part of the letter?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5365704

a.  The part where he announces that Cleveland will win a title before Lebron (notice that he insinuates that Lebron will eventually when one by his wording)

b. The part where he refers to a Christian tenet that has taught him that you must die in order to go to heaven (what the hell does this even have to do with anything?  Does he want Lebron to die?  Does he want him to go to hell?  Does he think Lebron is going to hell when he dies?  I’m baffled…)

c. The part where he describes the assortment of bad karmic, widju board inspired black magic that he has cast upon Lebron for leaving.

I can’t even believe this was real.  In fact, my first thought was, “man… who found Dan Gilbert’s computer unlocked, opened Outlook, and went to town?”

Perhaps the most shocking fact of all this, is that this same man somehow acquired enough wealth to purchase a professional sports franchise?!?  How?!?  It is impossible that this mystic garbage he touts ever led to good decision making in business.  It must have been some sort of inheritance/nepotism.

Hey Dan, it’s OK to be disappointed.  We’ve all been there- just be honest and say so instead of acting like a religious three year old.  If  I was a Cavs fan I would indeed be livid… @ Dan Gilbert.  Y’all really think any free agents are interested in going there lest they get a better offer down the road an be subjected to the “Insane Dan” treatment?  You should all boycott lest the Cavs become the official team of CrazyTown.

Edit: OK, so according to Wikipedia, the Quicken Loans label on the arena is because he owns the company.  Neat.  I’m never using TurboTax again.

John Logsdon, whom I view to be one of the best analyzers of space policy in the world conducted an interview with the SpaceNews where he describes a dubious singularity that I’ve often mused about- that Apollo was both the best and worst thing to happen to NASA.

His explanation certainly does lay out why the debate about what to do next is so polarized.

As the right sidebar badge indicates- my theraputic hobby of Xboxing is about to eclipse the hundred grand mark. I wonder which game will push me over the top… I hope it isn’t Lego Indiana Jones- how embarassing. 

I will be sure to update with which achievement was responsible for this historic milestone.  Surely 150k is within reach with retirement on the looming horizon.

I know Congress thinks they are helping, but for the sake of everyone that will be left here (I could personally care less, I am abandoning this industry for good)- STOP trying to “save” the Constellation program by funding it through the end of the fiscal year. Simply postponing the inevitable and forcing the workforce to do lame duck work for another four months is not going to improve morale any.

http://blog.al.com/space-news/2010/06/lawmakers_will_try_to_force_na.html

I kidnapped this video from my good friend dukkillrs site (I’m sure he won’t mind). It was just too good to not pass on and increase exposure.

My friends know that I have a limited side-hobby of writing letters to various media publications notifying them of their ineptitude.  Usually in a light hearted and humorous, yet sincere and accurate fashion.

Part of this hobby has led me to visit the NBA Live message boards on EASports.com on an annual basis to petition them for my new ideas for next years game.  While they have apparently renamed the franchise from Live to Elite (not one of my suggestions) I have been continuously thwarted.  I therefore call in reinforcements from the Blogo/Webosphere in rallying support.

In order to make the game more representative of the NBA, there should be two button actions added to the game.

1. One in order to flop onto the ground whenever you come into contact with another a player (usually while on defense).  This may or may not grant you a call (whereupon home crowds could chant B.S.!  Genius!)
2. The other is obviously lacking, and this is the b!tch to referees button.  In fact, a whole new statistical category that would rate a players effectiveness in this category (BIT being the suggested three letter acronym) could be added to the game!  (Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan would have 99 BIT).  Pressing this button too often would get you a technical foul, less BIT, the higher the chances of a technical.  (Rasheed Wallace would have 3 BIT).

Why won’t they take me seriously!?  Without such features, staking claim as the most realistic basketball game is an empty accolade.

As you might expect, there is a diverse background of college educations at the space center.  My friends and I have been enjoying a spirited debate on what has become of the Big 12 in the last couple of weeks.  Frankly, as a Big 12 North grad, I couldn’t be more displeased with the outcome.  I know that it was touted that we Big 12 North schools were basically S.O.L. if the Big 12 folded because we weren’t exactly hot on the radar screen of any of the other big conferences, but the alternative we have now been left with is even worse.

The departure of CU and NU now has the center of gravity of the Big 12 conference lying somewhere on the I-35 corridor between Dallas and Waco in Mack Brown’s pants.  Great.  Make no mistake about it, the hail mary pass that Beebe threw in order to keep the conference together was thrown exclusively in UT’s direction.

Couple this with the fact that the departure of NU and CU from the conference was no mystery that it was heavily due to the southern bias that the conference has taken on since it expanded by bringing in the Texas schools from the Southwestern Conference.  Has this gotten better in the past couple of weeks?  Absolutely not.  In fact- it is even worse.  Money talks and it was the only thing UT was listening to.  In order to give them more of it, the unbalanced revenue sharing of the Big 12 can only get worse.  KU, KSU, MU, ISU, and Baylor basically just paid UT (and to a lesser extent OU) in order to keep the conference together.

To make things worse, it seems eyebrow raising that Beebe could claim that the new watered down Big 12 can garner a TV deal superior to that of the Big Ten whenever seven of our schools aren’t even worth a damn at football anyway.  Touting the CU and NU money as on-going revenue was genius!  I think I’ll go apply for a home loan with my upcoming severance check too!!!  Whenever the new Fox TV deal comes in much lower than Beebe was selling and the departure penalties run dry, we will be right back here again in two years playing the “who is courting who” drama of college athletics all over again.

I’m most disappointed with A&M in this whole exchange.  Having moderate first-hand experience with their hatred of UT weirdness, they finally had a chance to take the lead on something and not play second fiddle to the Longhorns.  With UT thumbing their nose at the Pac-10, A&M could have left for the SEC anyway, causing the Big 12 to implode in obvious defiance of UT’s wishes.  In fact, it would have been the ultimate triumph over their rival.  They would have left on their own accord while screwing UT in the process, and he who laughs last, well… you get the idea.

Instead A&M made it readily apparent that they enjoy living in their parent’s basement whilst simultaneously chastising their folks for infringing upon “their game”.  Sounds like fun; enjoy.

In the meantime, we get two years of conference championshipless, lame duck college football games in what is obviously a toxic environment and a marriage of convenience between the institutions remaining.  So… I would like to go on record coining the new name for these Big 12 leftovers; something that defines us for what we are, and a little alliteration couldn’t hurt either-

With that- I give you: The Texas Ten!

I saw this ad posted for a PS3 bundle as a “Gift for Dad”…

http://www.amazon.com/PS3-250-Fathers-Bundle-Playstation-3/dp/B003L56Z00/%20ref=pd_ms_vg_36?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&tag=gamingbits-20\